Device for securing rails to ties.



0. H. COURSON. DEVICE FOR SEGURING RAILS T0 TIES.

Patented June 11, 1912.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 21, 1911 1 W [N VEN T OR I Allormy OLIVER H. COURSON, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

DEVICE FOR SECURING RAILS 'I'O TIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1912.

Application filed September 21, 1911. Serial No. 650,638.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER H. CoURsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Securing Rails to Ties; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in devices for securing-rails to ties, the object being to provide fastening devices that may be applied to the ordinary wooden ties and rails without altering or changing in any way the tie or the rail.

A further object is to provide rail secur ing means, which when applied, will be locked to the tie against the possibility of accidental displacement, and which will grip the rail and tie with increasing pressure under any spreading tendency of the rails.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the parts and combinations of parts as will be more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure '1 is a view in perspective of my improvement applied to a tie and rail and Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification.

This invention comprises a yoke, made of metal and preferably round in cross section, and composed of a member 1 adapted to pass transversely under the tie, a member 2 adapted to pass upwardly at the side of the tie, and a member 3 adapted to rest on the base flange of the rail adjacent to the web, all of said members being. integral. The members 1 and 3 of the yoke are substantially straight and may extend wholly or partly the width of the tie, while the mem her 2 is bent inwardly as at 2 under the rail 4 to or near the vertical center of the latter, then upwardly as at 2*, to a point below but adjacent to the upper surface of the tie 5, then outwardly as at 2, and then upwardly and inwardly as at 2 to its junction with the member 3, which as before explained rests on the base flange of rail 4 adjacent the web of the rail. The members 1 and 3 are parallel, the former resting under and against the tie and the latter on and against the base flange of the rail. The sections 2 and 2 of the member 2 constitute jaws between which the base flange of the rail 4 rests while the bend 2* 2 permits the parts to yield or give and accommodate the horizontal members thereofto tles of-varying thickness, and also exert a yielding pressure,

.so as to rest solidly on said base flange.

This head 6 of the spike 6, is provided at its free end with a hole for the passage of the free end of the member 3 of the yoke, and the free end of said member 3 is preferably threaded for the attachment of a nut 7. After the nut has been applied the free end of member 3 of the yoke may be upset so as to lock the nut in place. One yoke and one spike are used on each side of the rail, and in applying them the spikes are first driven home, and operate in the ordinary way to hold the rail to the tie. After the spikes have been secured in place the yokes are placed 011 from the sides of the tie and locked to the spikes as before explained, hence when the parts are assembled, the yoke absolutely prevents the removal of the spikes, and the latter lock the yokes in place. If desired the yokes may be used at the outer sides only of the rails, and spikes alone used for securing the inner sides of the rails to the ties. If desired I may secure the yokes to the ties by staples or other devices 8, shown in Fig. 1, embracing the member 2 of the yoke and driven into the tie at the sides of the latter. Vith this construction of yoke, any tilting or spreading tendency of the rail, causes the section 2 and member 3 of said yoke to grip the base flange of the rail with an increasing pressure, and also tends to force the spike 6 farther into the tie, hence after the rail is secured each part of the fastening device locks the other part in place consequently there can be I10 accidental displacement of parts, and no separation of the rail from its tie.

In order to remove a rail, it is necessary to first disconnect the yoke from the spike and remove the yoke after which the spike can be withdrawn in the ordinary manner. If desired I may extend the top and bottom members 1 and 3 of the yoke across the tie and connect the free ends of both members by the brace 8 as shown in Fig. 2. This brace is shaped like the member 2 of the yoke, so as to engage the base flange of the rail.

It is evident that many slight changes might be resorted to in the relative arrangement of parts shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I would have it understood that I do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, but

Having fully described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. A device for securing a rail to a tie, comprising a yoke bent to engage the underside of the tie and project over the top of the latter, the upper portion of said yoke being bent to overhang the base flange of the rail, and means secured to the tie and engaging the upper overhanging portion of said yoke for locking the latter in place.

2. A device for securing a rail to a tie, comprising a yoke having upper and lower horizontal members connected by a vertical member, the latter having a bend intermediate its ends, the lower member of the yoke adapted to rest under the tie, and the upper member rest over the base flange of the rail.

3. The combination with a rail and a tie, of a yoke straddling the tie and base flange of the rail and engaging the underside of said tie and said base flange, and means engaging that portion of the yoke overhanging the base flange of the rail for locking the yoke in place. i

4. The combination with a rail and tie, of a single piece yoke engaging the lower face of the tie and base flange of the rail, and a spike driven into the tie and having a head overlapping the base flange of the rail, and the said head being provided with a hole for the passage of the upper member of the yoke.

5. The combination with a rail and a tie, of a single piece yoke comprising a lower member to engage the under face of the tie, atop member to engage the base flange of the rail and a side member, the latter being bentsubstantially as shown, and a spike driven into the tie and having a head overlapping the base flange of the rail, the said spike and top member of the yoke being connected.

6. The combination with a tie and rail, of a yoke engaging the lower face of the tie and overhanging the base flange of the rail, and a spike secured to the tie and overlapping the base flange of the rail and engaging that part of the yoke which overhangs said base flange.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OLIVER n. COURSON. Witnesses A. IV. BRIGHT,

GEORGE F. DOWNING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

